Big, Exotic and Rare Breeds of Natural Guard Dogs
 Serena Burnett with Seishen 
From an interview with Serena Burnett, partner in DogStar Kennels...Q: I have been hearing about DogStar Kennels for years. Tell me a little of your background. Serena: In the early 80's several friends and I were fortunate to be able to study and learn about the spirit of animals, especially dogs, from the most respected and visionary dog breeder in the Altadena/Pasadena area. His approach was to bring out the best in each dog, physically and temperamentally, by allowing their spirit to fully develop. So, we began raising and breeding dogs for our personal home protection. With his guidance, we gained quite a reputation for creating excellent guard dogs. In 1986, DogStar Kennels was formed utilizing excellent foundation stock for two breeds, the Japanese Tosa and the Neapolitan Mastiff. Q: What interested you in those particular breeds? Serena: Our goal was to find large, exotic and rare breeds of natural guard dogs. After much research, we decided that the Tosa and the Neo were the perfect breeds for us. Q: They are definitely large. It was awesome walking into this kennel today and being face to face with dogs this size. How rare are they? Serena: Both breeds are relatively rare; there are a few thousand Neos and less than 1000 Tosas in the US. Many people are attracted to these dogs as rare art treasures as well as family and home protection dogs. And from each breeds' background, we knew that they had the instincts to be a natural guard dog. Q: What do you mean by "natural guard dogs"? Serena: Many breeds can be trained to guard, but we wanted to concentrate on breeds that had a highly developed natural instinct that could be channeled into guarding. This instinct is best developed in breeds that were bred to fight. The Tosa is well known as a fighting dog in Japan and the Neo was originally used as a dog of war. So both breeds had all characteristics that DogStar was looking for. Q: Why choose a fighting dog as a home or family protection dog? Wouldn't this scare people away from these two breeds? Serena: First of all, fighting breeds have unequalled loyalty to their owners. No matter what the situation in the fighting ring, the dogs would never turn and bite their owners. This characteristic is bred into the dogs, generation after generation. They also have great courage and tenacity. But most of all, we chose the Tosa and Neo above all other Mastiffs because of their intelligence. Q: How do you measure dog intelligence? Serena: These dogs have the ability to size up a situation and respond accordingly. They are not intimidated nor do they react to all challenges with aggression. They are sensitive to their owners' responses and will act accordingly. Part of their nature is to try to please their owners by figuring out what the owner wants in each situation. This also makes the dogs very easy to train. Q: Incredible! What about puppies? How often to you have puppies? Serena: DogStar is committed to keeping these breeds rare and not overbreeding. At most, we have 1 litter per breed per year. This allows us to be sure that each puppy is placed in a great home and we don't have time pressures to place them. This also makes DogStar dogs more rare; we always have a waiting list for puppies. And we can concentrate on the best combinations of dams and sires to achieve our goals - breeding for temperament, size, spirit and soundness. Q: How many employees do you have? It must take a lot of help to keep this kennel so clean and organized. Serena: We have no paid employees. All the work is done by about 10 to 12 people who share a common philosophy about our approach, the care and nurturing of these animals. We all feel that what we get back from these dogs is so great that we value the time we get to spend here with them, whether it is cleaning the runs, feeding or raising puppies. No one takes home any money from this venture; we invest it all back into the dogs or to improving the kennel. Q: Interesting. That's a unique way to operate. Just today I have met four women working around here. Is the kennel run entirely by women? Serena: Over time, we have found that women, on the whole, are more nurturing and have greater respect for the spirit of the dogs. It was not our intention to have an entirely woman-staffed kennel, but it is working well. There is one unexpected benefit to this. Since the dogs associate mostly with women from birth, they are less readily accepting of men. This is perfect for a "natural guard dog" because statistics show most of society's crime and violence is committed by men. DogStar dogs bond well with their owners (men and women) and their families, but usually keep an aloofness towards strangers, especially men, throughout their lives. Q: Can we go back to the part about the Tosa and Neo being fighting dogs? How do raise a dog like this? Serena: Neither the Tosa nor the Neo is a dog for a novice owner. We screen our clients carefully with an extensive questionnaire and interview process. We really get to know someone personally before we place a dog with them and we keep this relationship for the life of the dog. Just because of their size, they must be placed with people who understand the dog's nature and will take the time to properly socialize and train the dogs. No one can afford to have a 165 lb. dog or even a 130 lb. dog pulling them across the street. Q: Do they get along with other animals? Serena: In our experience, both the Neo and the Tosa are very accepting of other animals, especially if raised with them from puppyhood. We have placed dogs on ranches with livestock, in homes with cats, ferrets, birds, etc. without any mishaps. I would use caution if introducing an older dog to other animals. It may take more time and sensitivity to do this, but I've done it very successfully. Q: What about fighting with other dogs? Serena: We don't recommend keeping an adult male or female of either breed with another adult of the same sex and size. This is true for any dominant breed (Rottweiler, Doberman, etc.). However it is really a combination of the individual dog's temperament and good socialization. |
DOGSTAR KENNELS, 10932 Arleta, Mission Hills, CA 91345 USA
email DOGSTAR | fax: 626.359.1904
